Being reflexive about reading in qualitative research

Abstract

This article addresses the significance of reading and reviewing literature when doing qualitative research. It offers a consideration that goes beyond the simple idea that one either should or should not review literature prior to starting a qualitative empirical research project. The discussion offers a deeper consideration of how reading should be thought of in relation to doing social research, and encourages a reflexivity that considers the researcher’s position to the literature. It is proposed that researchers should consider two important questions relating to literature they have read before starting a qualitative research project: (1) when was the literature read? and (2) who were they when they read the literature? These questions could also be asked by a researcher of themselves after a project has begun or when a project is nearing completion, or at all three stages. These are important factors to consider because reading as a dialogue between writer and reader is not fixed. At different times and as a result of new experiences, and specifically the acquisition of new knowledge, the lens through which one reads a text can change and as a result of that so can their interpretation of the text.